Saturday, September 30, 2006

During Interbike, I was able to get a few people to agree to do interviews with Cyclelicious. All I need is some of your input. If you have a question you'd like to ask one of them, please email me at SusquCyclist@gmail.com and I will forward it on to them.

The people who confirmed they were interested in doing an interview are as follows:

Friday, September 29, 2006

Sinclair Imports has been known in recent years for their infamous parties during Interbike. This year's party was held atop the VooDoo Lounge at the Rio Casino. Fifty-one stories above the Las Vegas streets, many vendors, retailers, and media were in attendance. Also in attendance were professional cyclists, such as Freddie Rodriguez, Tony Cruz, George Hincapie, and Mario Cipollini. The two levels of indoor and outdoor partying were in full effect until well after 1:00 in the morning.

The obvious attraction at the show was Italian sprinter Mario Cipollini, who could not take a step without being asked for another picture. The "Lion King" is pictured below with one of the many women competing for the title of "Miss Sinclair 2006".

The Environmental Defense Fund reminds its readers, "If everyone who lives within 5 miles of their workplace were to cycle to work just one day a week and left the car at home, nearly 5 million tons of global warming pollution would be saved every year, the equivalent of taking about a million cars off the road."

Cycling for transportation has doubled since 1990, and reports from Interbike tell us that this past year especially has been good for the cycling industry. EDF credits facilities such as bikeways and bikestations that entice commuters to try cycling. Today bike transit centers are proliferating. Bikestation’s executive director Andrea White says the ones her group operates are at or near capacity and the surge in interest in these facilities "has been really phenomenal." New ones are in the works in Washington, D.C.; Tempe, Arizona; Houston; Vancouver; and Minneapolis, to name a few in the building or planning stages. Read more at EDF.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Good morning from Las Vegas! Tuesday night's US Airways Flight 749 from Philadelphia should have been considered Interbike Flight 749. The sheer number of Interbike attendees on the flight was overwhelming. Half of the row in front of me, half of my row, and most of the row behind me were all attendees. Further back in the plane were two riders from the Rite Aid Professional Cycling Team.

Anyways, I am writing to you from the floor of the Sands Convention Center. It's a sight to behold here in Las Vegas, with companies as far as the eye can see. The theme coming from most of the companies at Interbike this year has been "sales are amazing". Rightfully so, when gas prices spiked above $3.00 a gallon, many consumers did not see the necessity in driving only a few miles for the cost.

One company that spoke of the benefits of high gas prices was the Electra Bicycle Company out of Vista, California. Marketing Director Elayne Fowler and Inside Sales Representative Scott Payton spoke of increased sales of their cruiser/comfort bicycles since gas prices have risen. As sales have increased for adults of their bicycles, they also noticed a related increase in sales of their bicycles for children. An interesting fact about Electra Bicycles is that they have lines of the same bicycles, both in adult and children sizes. Both Elayne and Scott mentioned that many families are outfitting all their family members with the same model of Electra bikes. This brand loyalty has strengthened their business and increased their product awareness. They discussed receiving emails and calls from buyers telling them how satisfied they were with their bicycles and how their family members were as well.

Later, I will post of some of the non-conventional "bikes" that are being displayed at Interbike this year.

As a reminder, please direct any questions you may have that you want answered to SusquCyclist@gmail.com. If you would like to see what is taking place at Interbike this year, please visit Interbike's website.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

As Fritz stated, I will be attending Interbike on behalf of Cyclelicio.us, so if any of you other Bloggers are out there, please feel free to stop me and say hello (or just email me and I'll stop by and introduce myself on the Interbike floor). That's me in the picture, so keep an eye out...

I will be covering many aspects of the show, from products to professionals, and I will send daily updates from Las Vegas with the happenings around Interbike. If you have any questions you'd like answered about anything Interbike, please email me at SusquCyclist@gmail.com and I will work on answering them for you.

I hope to hear from some other bloggers attending Interbike, as well as readers of Cyclelicio.us with questions they want answered.

Monday, September 25, 2006

If you're looking for the article about what influences and motivates driving-aged teens to bike to school, you can find the article here. If you are at all interested in promoting cycling, I think this bit of research from Vancouver is an important read. Thank you to the League of American Bicyclists Bike League News editor for mentioning Cyclelicious!

The mission of Cyclelicious is to promote cycling as a fun and safe activity for recreation, fitness, and transportation. I personally give financial support to the League of American Bicyclists, Bicycle Colorado, the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, and, of course, the Local Bike Shop. If you don't already help with cycling advocacy efforts, I encourage you to find your local advocacy group and lend a hand, some time, and a few dollars.

Cyclelicious at Interbike 2006

Cyclelicious contributor Michael Franken will be at Las Vegas for Interbike 2006. Be sure to hunt him down and say hello! He'll be there to check out the pro road cyclist side of the bicycling.

As always, if I caught a photo of you on your bike, you can find it at my Flickr pool.

I rode my bicycle today in honor of the September Equinox. For the North Americans, Europeans and most Asians reading Cyclelicious, this day marks the begining of autumn. The South American, Australian, and Kiwi readers know today as the beginning of spring! And for my readers in south India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and elsewhere in the Tropics, it doesn't matter a whole lot :-)

For those who cycle year-round, it's time to get your cold-weather and night-riding gear out. Dust off the lights, jackets, arm and leg warmers, ear covers, hats, and full finger gloves.

If you want to try winter cycling but live in a truly cold climate, Icebike is the best resource for information about bike riding in cold rain, snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. The discussion list is full of helpful people from around the world who can give pointers for every level of cyclist out there.

The bikers in this story are the Harley Davidson type, not the Colnago-riding variety, but it's too good to pass up.

A road-raging motorist swerves his car toward a group of bikers. The motorist, Richard Brooks, follows two of the bikers who pull over off of the highway. He jumps out of the car waving a pool cue and gets knocked over by his own car! Brooks apparently left his car in reverse.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

The Tuscon city council approved a new ordinance Tuesday night that sets the minimum age for riders at 16, requires a helmet for those under 18, limits the number of riders to no more than what the bicycle or tricycle was designed for and calls for a headlight and rear reflector during nighttime riding.

The ordinance also bars riders operating the bikes on sidewalks and mixed-use paths such as the trails that run along several riverbeds in the area.

Stores selling motorized bikes are required to tell customers about the city ordinance and post a sign stating that state law sets the speed limit for the bikes at 20 mph. The ordinance takes effect immediately and violators are subject to a $100 fine.

The chairman of the Tuscon Bicycle Advisory Committee, Diana Tolton, wanted a complete ban of the motorized bicycles. "Do we want people who have lost their licenses because of a DUI, now driving a motorized bike?" she asks. "Do we want someone who is legally disabled and unable to get a drivers license to be on a motorized bike?"

Monday, September 18, 2006

On September 21, 2006, Ohio's BETTER BIKING BILL becomes law. This bill was the result of a lengthy struggle by the Ohio Bike Federation to try to improve Ohio's "bike laws." It passed the Ohio Senate UNANIMOUSLY and was signed by the governor at the Great Ohio Bike Adventure on Saturday, June 17, 2006.

Key components of the bill include

Re-affirmation a person's right to ride a bike on virtually every road in Ohio

Limits placed on the ability of local governments to pass law inconsistent with State law or good bicycling practices

Further refinement of the AFRAP rule, including recognition that what is "practicable" may include getting out of the way of hazards and debris that litter the right side fo the road

Refinement of equipment requirements such that modern blinking lights and other devices are "legal"

Requires courts to consider the "capabilities fo the vehicle and its operator" in any alleged violation of a "driving too slow" ordinance/statute

Modifies the "passing rules" to allows passing bikes by crossing a double yellow line under certain circumstances.

Modifies rules for cyclists relative to giving turn signals. Allows cyclists to put both handsd back on the handlebars!

Sunday, September 17, 2006

This interesting research from Vancouver, Canada (PDF file) studies the influences and motivators of teens who ride their bicycles to school.

Vancouver teenagers who were old enough to drive but regularly cycled to secondary school were interviewed in this study. The participants began cycling by themselves around the age of ten because it afforded independence, fun, speed and time efficiency. Their parents resisted habitual chauffeuring and modeled bicycle use for recreation and transportation. The participants continued cycling throughout their mid-teen years because those early motivators—along with fitness and health—were stronger than negative comments from peers. They rode neither new nor expensive bikes, and considered bicycle “advocacy” to be too aggressive to be directed at their peers. However, rigorous tactics to encourage friends to cycle indicated that friends of current cyclists are an important target in bicycle promotion at secondary schools.

Some notable conclusions from the study authors include these observations:

This study suggests that promoting cycling may show greater potential with teenagers than working to dismantle barriers to cycling.

With independence and self-empowerment identified as significant benefits of cycling, the promotion of cycling in secondary schools should rather focus on creative strategies that enhance youth involvement.

A parent who rides a bicycle for local errands, family bike rides, or the commute to work is modeling the bicycle as a viable, alternative transportation option for their children. Furthermore, judicious refusals to chauffeur daughters and sons to nearby destinations, despite real or perceived peer pressure to be “good parents” can reinforce youths’ new-found independence of bicycle transportation.

Friday, September 15, 2006

California Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB1613 today in a ceremony today. The bill makes it illegal to use a mobile phone while driving unless the driver is using a handsfree device. This bill, which becomes effective July 1, 2008, mandates fines of $20 for a first offense and $50 for subsequent offenses. The California Bicycle Coalition was credited for being influential in this bills passage.

In the U.S., New York is currently the only state banning cellphone use while driving, with the District of Columbia also restricting mobile phone use. In Canada, cellphone use while driving is illegal in Newfoundland and Labrador. Around the world, the list of nations banning driver mobile phone use includes Australia, Brazil, Israel, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom.

The great state of New Jersey will soon implement two more incentives you should ride a bicycle for fitness and transportation by imposing a 7% sales tax on health club memberships and parking lot fees. If you pay to park to visit your gym, that's a double whammy. These changes to New Jersey tax law will take effect October 1.

For the year-round cyclists in the northern hemisphere, winter will soon be on us. Save up to 50% on lights and fenders at Nashbar's Employee Pricing Sale.

Flickr now gives you the capability to quickly geotag your photos. If you use the Flickr Organizer to do this, your photo will appear on the Map for whatever group(s) your photo belongs to.

Login to Flickr and click "Organizer" from the menu at the top of the web page. Select the "Map" tab. Wait a moment for everything to load and you'll see a selection of thumbnails of your photos along the bottom of the screen and the map across the top. Zoom to your location in the map, then drag and drop your thumbnail photos to the location.

Any photos that belong to a Flickr group will automatically appear on that groups map page. The Bike Nation Map, for example, is here.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

The Amgen Tour of California has been nomiminated by Sports Travel Magazine as one of the "Best New Sporting Events" of 2006.

If you would like to support the Amgen Tour of California's nomination by voting for thi sevent in this category, you can do so at the Sports Travel Magazine website. Voting takes place thru Friday, September 15, 2006.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Over 600 people were injured and nearly a dozen people were killed in traffic accidents in Canada today, at a cost to society of approximately $26 million (Cdn) per day. In Quebec, hundreds were injured and one or two people died as a result of traffic accidents.

I've witnessed adults freaking out because of parents who make their children walk or bike to school. I've heard of an instance of parents who were reported to their state's child protection agency because their child was seen riding his bike to school with traffic in the rain. Overprotectionism (and fear of litigation) often drives school policies that ban cycling to school.

Because of declining resources and other factors, I believe my children will enter a world that is harsher and much more competetive than the one we live in now. I give my children guidance, of course, but I want them to be able to think independently and to act without a disabling fear of their environment. To do that, they need to learn from their mistakes, and to learn from their mistakes they actually need to make mistakes.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Dorothee started riding her bike to work in August after her car broke down on the highway. In the short time since she's become car-free, she's latched onto cycling with an envangelist's fervor. "Many of my friends are avid bicyclists and made fun of me for owning a mountain bike, especially because I hardly used it," she says. "I used to wonder why they were freaking out about some track bike they saw in the neighborhood or obsessing over new helmets. I figured it was just another hipster lifestyle phase that was really all about consumerism. I never understood their enthusiasm until I got riding myself!"

Dorothee always considered bicycles as recreational tools for short distances, not an actual way to get around. Since she started riding for transportation, she traded her old mountain bike in for a lighter racing bike.

"I'm lucky to have many helpful friends who ride bikes. When I decided to start riding, I looked around my parent's backyard and found an old, rusty but otherwise good racing bike. It was light and just my size so my friend brought me and my bicycle to a great shop in Chicago called Cycle Smithy . I also searched the internet for bike resources in Chicago and the best thing I found was the Chicago Bike Map. Once I had my bike it was just a matter of getting on the road with my map or friends and letting go of the fear of getting hit by a car!"

To spread the good news of bike riding in the Chicago area, Dorothee started My Alternative Fuel, a site with a blog, photos, and links to bicycle resources in Chicago as well as articles. "I like to call it 'How I stopped worrying and learned to love the bike.' Basically it's about an average suburban girl giving up cars in favor of bicycles and learning as she rides. "

Two former teammates of Lance Armstrong admitted to doping with EPO while preparing for the 1999 Tour de France for the U.S. Postal Service team. Frankie Andreu and an anonymous rider disclosed their use in interviews with the New York Times, acknowledging their use now because they thought doping was damaging the sport. Continued doping and denial by riders may scare away fans and sponsors for good. Read more in the Times.

Sometimes putting something on the line is the only way to help. My confession of taking EPO when I was younger is not meant to drag anyone down but to raise awareness of the problems that existed and still exist. We need to make some steps to make things better. If DNA sampling and testing is required then that is the way we should move. I understand the invasion of privacy and no other sport requires this, but if you put the truth out on the table then perhaps something good will come from it.

Meanwhile, Floyd Landis now claims through his lawyer that the testing lab that produced the positive test for steroids in his blood uses flawed and sloppy testing methods.

My cycling friends here in California have another theory: we've decided that while Floyd drank himself into a stupor after his dismal Stage 16 performance, his buddies slipped a few extra ingredients into his "mixed" drinks. "It was a joke!" proclaims one of the anonymous conspirators. "He was so far behind we didn't expect him to actually win the Stage, let alone the entire Tour!"

New York City Transportation Commissioner Iris Weinshall today joined Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly to announce a series of unprecedented bicycle safety improvements, including the addition of 200 miles of new on-street bicycle facilities (paths, lanes and routes) over the next three years. The agencies also announced the release of a joint report describing the factors that contributed to the deaths and serious injuries of bicyclists over the past decade.

"Today's announcement that the City Departments of Transportation, Health, Police and Parks are working together to dramatically improve and increase bicycling heralds a new and exciting era for the city," Transportation Alternatives' Bicycle Program Director Noah Budnick said. "Three million New Yorkers are overweight, one million have asthma and three-quarter million suffer from diabetes. It is clear more than ever that increasing cycling is a public health issue, as well as one of traffic safety, air quality and economics."

Monday, September 11, 2006

Traffic psychologist Dr. Ian Walker used a bicycle fitted with an ultrasonic distance sensor to record data from more than 2,500 overtaking motorists while riding the bike between Salisbury and Bristol. He found drivers were as much as twice as likely to get particularly close to the bicycle when he was wearing the helmet. Across the board, drivers passed an average of 8.5cm (three-and-a-third inches) closer with the helmet than without.

A few women have suggested to me that I dress like a woman for increased passing distance. Dr. Walker tested this idea in his study by donning a wig while cycling. He found that wearing the wig resulted in an average of 14 centimetres (5.5 inches) more space when passing.

Friday, September 08, 2006

105 cyclists -- mostly police officers -- began riding today from Brooklyn in the 5th Annual Tour de Force bicycle ride. They will arrive at the Pentagon on 9/11, riding in memory of the civilians and the FDNY and NYPD members killed in the attack at the World Trade Center. It also raises money for the New York Police Department Widows' and Children's Fund.

This video shows off Philips "Lumalive" light-emitting fabric. These glowing threads might work well for night time cycling!

“Taking the Lumalive fabrics from prototypes to integrated products has been a major challenge,” said Bas Zeper, Managing Director of Photonic Textiles, Philips Research. “The light emitting textiles have to be flexible, durable and operated by reasonably compact batteries. Fitting all that into a comfortable, lightweight garment is a considerable engineering success.”

“What Philips Research showed last year were research prototypes; this year the jackets and furniture represent versions that are ready to go into commercial production, and include integrated power sources and control electronics,” said Zeper.

The products include features that make them practical for daily use. For example, when integrating the Lumalive fabrics into the garment Philips Research has made the parts that can’t be easily washed — such as the batteries and control electronics—simple to disconnect and reconnect after the garment has been cleaned. Even the light-emitting layer can be easily removed and refitted to the jacket.

This catalog photo comes from Highland Products Group. Just because you manufacture and sell something doesn't mean you know how they're supposed to be used.

The whole point of inverted U racks is to provide two points of contact for the bicycle. This means proper parking is parallel to the rack, not perpendicular as shown in this photo.Photo info: Bad catalog photo by richardmasoner.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Beaverton, Oregon bike-rider Dan Koch intentionally rammed a car and was arrested for disorderly conduct, according to witnesses. Question: When's the last time a motorist was arrested for running cyclists off the road?

Bicycle news

Finnish opera singer Esa Ruuttunen was riding his bicycle to rehearsal when a squirrel ran into Esa's bike spokes. The singer suffered a concussion and broken nose. The squirrel died. There's no report on how the bicycle fared in the accident.

On August 16, New York Governor Pataki ratified Assembly Bill A04914, which authorizes the mandatory revocation or suspension of a driver's license where a right-of-way violation leads to serious injury or death of another person. The bill also authorizes courts to require persons convicted of such right-of-way violations that caused serious physical injury or death to participate in a motor vehicle crash prevention course.Photo info: strange but true bike arrest by BikePortland.org.

Bonus points if you have experience working with VMware software or other virtualization technologies (e.g. Xen), if you know something about storage. The rest of Sun is a bit stodgy, but things move very quickly in the x64 server group and you must be capable of learning new thigs quickly, putting that new knowledge to work immediately, and working with a large team of people. If you ride a bike that's a double bonus; you can join me on my Friday lunch rides.

This job is in Menlo Park, California. Working remotely is not an option for this job -- you'll spend quite a bit of time in a lab messing with wires and replacing ruined flash ROMs.